I own an SDR-IQ. Just curious has anyone ever tried an external , rotatable, ferrite antenna such as the Quantum QX with an SDR radio?SDR-IQ is improved with a tuned preselector - if you can attenuate nearby frequencies as well as null out signals from certain directions would that be etter or would it be overkill? What is your experience?

I guess what I'm asking is: In using an SDR radio for MW dx is it more important to attenuate nearby frequencies and then add possible amplification using an indoor whip/ outside wire, or is it better to null signals from unwanted directions using a ferrite coil then add possible amplification? Apparently both attenuate unwanted frequencies and peak a frequency of interest but which works better with SDRs.

Yes, I've used my Perseus SDR along with a Quantum Pro+ Loop. For BCB DXing, it's superb. I also bought his Phaser add-on unit. As the manufacturer---truly a pleasure to work with---will tell you, getting the hang of 'phasing' takes some initial patience but then becomes second nature. The gain of the Quantum Loop isn't as strong as an outdoor loop...such as the Wellsbrook 1530+. The best BCB DX setup that I've ever used was the Quantum and it's Phaser using the 1530+ as the co-phased antenna. With both the 1530 (using an inexpensive rotor) and the Quantum being rotatable, working grey-line skip on BCB frequencies on the Perseus SDR was very robust. The SDR software's ability to 'brickwall' filter US frequencies to hear international stations on the split frequencies, for example, was something that my JRC NRD-545 just couldn't do nearly as well!

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